I.m not that old. !!!

Some of the comments here could themselves be described as ageist. There are kinder ways of talking about the very old and prob most of us are slowly approaching that state. Why all this resentment?

Spuddy, I was 80 last summer, just before my birthday I developed a fast growing abcess on my bum, that thought antibiotics were growh promoters, so on the second visit my GP sent me straight to my local hospital, who took one look at it and put me on the immediate operation list. Then the search for a bed started and finally I was taken down to a bed in gynacology - where I stayed until discharge after my procedure.

Witzend I was an 'elderly primagravida' at the same age. I lived in a New Town where the average age for a first child barely made it to 20. When my midwife commented on my 'great age' I commented that i thought it was good idea to grow up myself before having a baby. The midwife, response, was she thought that was a very good idea and she wished more people did that.

Witzend * monica* I had exactly the same experience when having my third child at the elderly age of 28 I nearly fell off the bed when I saw the word elderly I haven’t even thought of myself as elderly yet in my very, very late 70s my friend who is 9 years older than me, asked to see a doctor in case she was developing Alzheimer’s, she wasn’t, just ordinary slowing of an elderly brain, however she was most put out when the doctors write up about her spoke of her being clean and tidy in everyday clothes She was most put out as she’d dressed up for the appointment !!

Had an appointment earlier this week at a gynaecology department at a hospital I'd only previously visited with broken wrists. Had to ask where gynae was as it's a sprawling place.

Got there but the sign said "Ante-Natal" so I asked the receptionist if I was in the right place. He said yes. In the letter giving me the appointment they'd called the clinic The One-Stop Gynaecology Clinic. Time they changed the sign! 😁

Most of the other people waiting looked to be too old (like me) for ante-natal care so I suspect it was a post-menopausal clinic

Geriatric comes from Greek words for old-age (gēras) and physician (iātros). I don't have a problem with it. I am an old person. Not very old but definitely old and I think it's ageist – as another comment on this thread also suggests – to get up tight/un-chilled about that ☯️ 🙂

Why do people assume references to old age always mean "that old", an age above what they are. Presumably they do want to be an age – several ages in fact – above what they are.

We have one of these signs near us. There is no old people's home nearby so I am not sure why it is there.

We do live in an area that is popular with retirees though.

I prefer seniors to elderly or pensioners. I think they say this in Australia

My late great-grandfather refused to go to the seniors' drop-in centre in his community. He called it the Drop Dead Centre and said it was for old guys. He was 83 at the time

In all seriousness, when I was in graduate school I did some research assistant work for a nursing professor. Her research program focuses on finding ways to create elder-friendly hospitals. One time she and I were talking to another professor, whose research also focuses on older people, and this other professor said she disliked the term "elderly". To her it suggested someone who was frail, and that isn't always the case for older people. She preferred the term "older adult" for someone 65+.

silverlining48

I used to referred to as this charming lady etc in doctors letters, wondered if it was code for ‘not an axe murderer‘.

That's kind of what I was told. If the consultant uses an adjective like pleasant or charming, it just means they were okay with you. When they write 'I saw this lady in clinic today' with no adjective it means this patient is a pain in the arse.

mae13

Very often the word "elderly" is automatically coupled with "vulnerable", as if you're so doddery you can't even make a cup of coffee. "Vulnerable" conjures up a monochrome image of someone 70+ stuck in a recliner chair all day alternating between dozing and dribbling!
I loathe the damn word.

What do you mean by:
Vulnerable" conjures up a monochrome image of someone 70+ stuck in a recliner chair all day alternating between dozing and dribbling!

70+? Or is that a typo?
Did you mean 90+?

Witzend I was an 'elderly primagravida' at the same age

I was 28 and an elderly primigravida too.

However, 28 seems to be relatively young to be having a first baby now!

Anyone over 25 was regarded as an older first time mother in my day ( 70 s) and at 27 I was also in that category. Big capital letters on the front if my file heralding the fact that I was primagravida.
Other new mums in hospital with me were mostly teenagers/ early 20 s so I was older but yes, anyone n their 20 s seems young to me too.

My MiL had her tonsils out when she was 55. The consultant's notes said 'Despite her advanced age we think this lady should have this operation'

silverlining48

This hasn’t happened for a while now. Now I am mrs S the patient, my charm is no longer mentioned.

Be thankful you are Mrs S - here we are all referred to by our Christian names, which I find annoying!

This thread reminds me of something a school friend said recently (we’re just 70). She had ‘had a fall’ but preferred to think of it as having fallen over. At what age does falling over become ‘having a fall’?

When I had my 50th birthday I received a letter about sheltered housing!

That happened to me two years ago. I saw Geriatric wing over the door leading into the unit and I said to the doctor, I am not going in there, I can still jive.

cornergran

Letter from cardiologist about Mr C included ‘this pleasant gentleman and his supportive wife’. Suspect it was code for interfering!

Haha😂

grannysb

When my uncle turned 50, he got old age security forms in the mail just prior to his birthday 😂

I’m 65 so probably a geriatric even though it upsets me a little I suppose in my 20s and 30s I probably felt that anyone in their 60s was geriatric too so it’s come back to bite me in the bum

Murraymint

Belated new year's greetings. I have been poorly since the start of the year, ending with a few days in hospital. The nursing staff could not have been nicer. The fact most of them were young enough to be my granddaughter s / sons, is neither here nor there. My shock came when reading my discharge letter. Apparently, I. was under the care of geriatric doctors !! I'm only 66 yo, and nowhere near geriatric. Gave my hubby and family a good laugh though.....

I was told the term came in for over 60's.

Bear in mind, it’s simply a medical term. There are important things that are different in our physiology over approximately 65. Certain medications are ill advised, others need care to give the correct dose. A Geriatrician is simply a specialist for our changing bodies.

Sorry Witzend ….i can beat that ….i was ‘elderly primagravida’ at 25😂

Smiling at this as I’m approaching my 64th birthday next week. Think I’m fairly modern hair jet black( with help) 😂and working still in childcare don’t retire for two years. When we go out from work I’m waiting till they say’ is this still ok for you’ I’ll reply yes and the pole dancing club will suit me fine!😂

Witzend

I was described in my notes as an ‘elderly’ primigravida when having my first baby at 28!

I don’t recall the G word being used in any of the hospital appt. letters I received for follow up appts. (having been in hospital for 3 weeks last March) but any copies of letters between doctors certainly mentioned my age (74 then).

An undoubted fact, but it’s not exactly uplifting to see it in cold hard print!

I was only 24 and was really surprised to be called an elderly primagravida, though I was in an area where many expectant mothers were of Indian or Pakistani origin and were in their teens.

Callistemon21

^Witzend I was an 'elderly primagravida' at the same age^

I was 28 and an elderly primigravida too.

However, 28 seems to be relatively young to be having a first baby now!

Yes, I wonder if the definition of elderly primagravida has been updated?!